Shiro no Yojin
The Castle of Vigilance (L15) was located in the Lion-Crane border, beside the Shadowed Souls River, Legacy of the Forge, p. 56 in the Yojin province. Secrets of the Lion, p. 95 Strategic Point The castle laid in the eastern edge of the Plains of Battle, just two miles from Shiro sano Kakita, the Kakita Dueling Academy. It was also only a day's travel from Otosan Uchi, making it one of the most strategically important castles in the Empire Secrets of the Lion, p. 67 until the Fall of Otosan Uchi. Appearance The castle was not a massive fortress, nor was it easily defensible. The nearest Lion reinforcements must come from Shiro Akodo, thirty miles away. The structure stood over eighty feet tall, with seven interior levels including one underground, rising over a hundred feet above the river along its back side. The castle was built upon a carefully engineered earthen mound, and the single path that led to the gates passed between two watchtowers. Secrets of the Lion, p. 68 Dojo Shiro no Yojin was the location of the Shiro no Yojin Dojo. Way of the Samurai, p. 43 History Contested Holding The fortress fell into the hands of the Crane along with much of the Yojin province. Lion armies marched to avenge the slight, The Atlas of Rokugan, p. 99 retaking it during the Night of Falling Stars, in 960. Since then the castle had changed hands more than once, but the Lion retained it, despite the efforts of many Kakita officers. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 293 Code of Bushido Clan Letter to the Crane #10 (Imperial Herald v3 #2) Spirits It was said that the river below the castle was haunted by the spirits of those who died there. Once a year, on the seventh day of the month of the Snake, the Lion barred the gates to the castle. That night the spirit of Daidoji Yurei walked the plain outside the castle, and tore any Lion he found to bloody shreds. Since the Lion had held the castle only seven had been outside on that night, but all were found in pieces in the morning. Way of the Crane, p. 46 The ghosts of the castle prevented anyone from occupying the uppermost floor. Legacy of the Forge In 1123 The Atlas of Rokugan, p. 283 the traitor Kitsu Goden and the instigator Bayushi Sozui unleashed the Legacy of the Forge to raise the tensions between Lion and Crane forces, Legacy of the Forge, p. 50 which led in the Battle for Shiro no Yojin, Legacy of the Forge, p. 54 and the holding was again in the Crane hands. Otosan Uchi: The Scorpion's Sting, p. 11 Crane Civil War Daidoji Uji seized the castle Ancestors Posses the Living (Fire and Shadow flavor) in 1132, following the guide of his ancestor, Daidoji Yurei, against the orders of the Crane Clan Champion, Doji Kuwanan. Clan Letter to the Crane #12 (Imperial Herald v3 #4) It was the beginning of the Crane Civil War. Soul of the fallen, by Ree Soesbee Back to Lion Hands In 1153 Matsu Nimuro sacked Shiro no Yojin with an army of Akodo with terrifying precision, minimizing losses in both sides. Secrets of the Lion, p. 9 In 1159 Matsu Masahide was its governor. Stormed by the Crane In 1200 the Lion claimed the northern portion of the Kintani Valley fell within the purview of Seizuka Shiro, and the Crane were forced to vacate Kyuden Kyotei. Shortly after Shiro no Yojin was stormed by Crane forces under the command of Kakita Ujirou. The Lion relinquished their claim, and both strongholds were returned to their former owners. Spring 2015 Kotei Fiction – Act 2: Troubled Waters (Part 1), by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton External Links * Shiro no Yojin (Code of Bushido) * Vigilance Keep (Stronger Than Steel) Layout Image:Shiro no Yojin 3.jpg|Location Image:Shiro no Yojin Layout.jpg|Layout Image:Shiro no Yojin Levels.jpg|Levels 1-6 Category:Crane Clan Holdings Category:Yojin province